


unhand my tears (i'll have your head)

by cosmoscrow



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Angst, Dragon Quest XI Act II Spoilers, Friendship, I guess???, I just wanna talk, Major Character Death only mentioned, Named Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Selectively Mute Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), also how tf is the serena & luminary friendship not a tag, cuz serena allowed him, enjoy?, i just galaxy brained a little and spat out this so, i promise its really just the luminary going mildly apeshit, no graphic violence bc apparently im poetic now, ohn lord those tags dont look good next to eachother, who's up for some more pint-sized oblivious human shaped eldritch horror luminary?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24488440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmoscrow/pseuds/cosmoscrow
Summary: Serena promised; no more tears.So, she bears witness to justice.
Relationships: Hero | Luminary & Sena | Serena
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	unhand my tears (i'll have your head)

**Author's Note:**

> me @ Kuron & Serena: aren't you tired of being nice? don't you just want to go apeshit?
> 
> anyway, i'm back on my bullshit aka the Luminary is a human-shaped eldritch horror and everyone knows except him. also he loves his friends and if you hurt them you die

* * *

It should’ve been just another fight. Another monster to slay. Another town to save. Instead, here they were, fumbling in their battle with a Vicious Liege Lizard, who commandeered a nightmarish combination of Platinum Poppets and Boreal Serpents.

Serena’s sure the awful monster had some sort of motivation of his own, powered by the dark forces of the Lord of Shadows. He probably even had a name, but she’d long forgotten in favour of keeping her friends and herself _alive_. Because this battle was absolute _hell_ on everyone.

She had been doing her best, forgoing any offensive spells in order to protect her family with buffs and concentrating on healing – Serena was not a fighter. Never had been. Between the two of them, it had always been–

“ _Serena, look out!_ ” 

Jade’s panicked yell was the only warning she got, when a Platinum Poppet descended on her. Serena shrieked. She could’ve ducked, rolled away, _moved_ – but she had been healing Erik and she was not about to falter in her duty. As soon as the soothing green glow faded from her hands, successfully rejuvenating the rogue, cold platinum bars encaged her. The wind was knocked out of her as she fell back against the cage, when the monster hung back into her own frontline next to the Vicious Liege Lizard.

“ _Serena!_ ” She could see Erik’s stricken face, hand outstretched as if he could reach her. He then balled that hand into a fist, his momentary shock transforming into pure rage as he picked up his fallen fenrir fang, his trusty soul breaker already in his left hand.

“Bastard!” Jade called out to the lizard, who cackled cruelly. “You won’t get away with this!”

“Just hold on, Serena, darling! We’ll come fetch you!” Sylvando reassured the healer, his usual jovial face uncharacteristically stern. His falcon blade seemed to exude more force as he cut down the last Boreal Serpent.

“Excellent,” Hendrik said, looking worse for wear yet still standing strong with his demons bane in hand. “Now it is down to the two of them.”

“Aye,” Rab agreed, preparing a Multiheal as he eyed the lizard and the floating puppet with contempt. “Let’s finish this!”

Kuron, spearheading the frontline as usual with Erik flanking his left, nodded, clear eyes steely. But they immediately turned suspicious when the monstrous lizard began to chuckle darkly. The orb in his claws began to glow ominously.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, meatbags,” he growled, sharp fangs glinting. A sudden miasma pulsed over the battlefield, coloured in an eerie dark purple. Serena’s heart thudded when she saw the entire party slump – their defences had been greatly reduced. This spelled out certain disaster, they had been already struggling with low health, but now paired with a defence sap, this could mean a complete wipeout. Except for Serena.

_She had no idea if she could fight off that monster all on her own_.

“Don’t you worry now, worms,” the monster grinned, a feral thing, as fire filled his maw. “It’ll only hurt _a lot_.”

No.

The Platinum poppet tittered, like cold bells, and Serena clung to the bars, heart pounding. A familiar burn entered her eyes.

“ _Kasizz!_ ”

“ _NO!_ ”

Her hand reached between the metal, trying desperately to reach as she watched the world around her beloved companions go up in flames. She heard them scream and her heart shattered. Please, oh Heavens, please anything but her family. Veronica. _Veronica, I’m so sorry_ –

A dry sob heaved out of her chest as she saw them still standing. Still holding on. Heavily damaged, pain coursing through them like beyond one’s worst imaginations, but they we’re still there. Rab was on his knees, wheezing as he held himself aloft with his anti magic staff. Hendrik leaned heavily on his great sword, as did Jade on her lightning lance. Sylvando stood on shaky legs, blade still in hand. The Golden Duo seemed to have taken the worst – Erik especially, who had thrown himself over Kuron, sending them both onto the ground.

Serena gasped when she saw the two, Erik heavily draped over Kuron, who clung to the arm of his best friend – who wasn’t moving. Smears of soot decorated the Luminary’s cheek as he checked on the rogue, gritting his teeth through the pain. The liege lizard laughed at their plight, looming over the severely weakened group.

_Please be alright, please be alright_ , Serena prayed as she watched with fearful eyes how Kuron franticly shook Erik. There was a faint groan from him. It was clear that the rogue was in no state to fight. Any more and he could–

The sage didn’t dare to finish the sentence in her head. She should be out there, helping, _healing_ , but she got herself captured like a lost lamb thrown to the wolves. How was she still this _weak_?

“Look at you. So weak, so defenceless,” the monster taunted them, baring his fangs. Then, he turned his gaze onto Serena with a cruel grin. “You can’t even protect your own.”

“Enough,” Hendrik ordered, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He swayed lightly before catching himself with his great sword. The Liege Lizard cackled.

“It’s true! Look at you, your dear little Luminary can’t even keep you safe,”

Something hot burned within Serena. “Lies!” she burst out. She was pinned by a penetrating glare.

“Would you say the same about your sister?”

The flame inside her immediately snuffed out, like a blow to a candle. A heavy silence befell the battlefield as the monstrous lizard smirked. Serena could feel herself shake.

“How…dare y-you…” Erik’s voice trembled with pain, but his eyes were like daggers. Stone-cold hatred set them alight, his lips curled back in a wolfish snarl. Beneath him, Kuron had gone still, wide-eyed, expression blank.

“Poor little Veronica,” the lizard continued with horribly faux sympathy, “sacrificing herself to save those who were too weak to do the same for her. You left her for dead, left her behind, your comrade, your _own sister_.” The last part was gleefully hissed at Serena.

Her finger gripped the bars so hard, her knuckles went white. Despite the silence, one could hear hearts breaking. Those carefully placed stitches ripped apart, old wounds re-opened and radiating more pain than ever before.

The lizard tilted his head at the sage in sick amusement. “What, no tears?”

(“ _No more tears._ ”)

Serena met his gaze, trembling. Glassy lavender eyes shone with so many tears, but she didn’t shed one. She made a promise – to her sister, to her Luminary, to _herself_. Her grief was hers, she alone was in possession of it. No one else will ever get their hands on her grief ever again. Her tears, her sadness, her love for her sister – no one will ever touch them again. For if they do, that would be the last time they had hands.

“My tears do not belong to you,”

A resolute declaration, delivered like the spring breeze and laced with glittery poison, that intended to last for eternity. And in some way, with what followed after, it was also a death sentence.

Her dearest Luminary, he was so kind, so gentle. He was noble and ever so helpful, his silence a language all on its own. And he had his boyish sides, cheeky quips, amused little snorts and roughhousing with Erik at the slightest playful provocation. Her Luminary was blessed with such a beautiful soul and a brave, brave heart.

But kindness was not weakness.

If anything, it was kindling. A burning fuse. Serena knew that her Luminary was a little selfish when it came to them – he’d do anything to see them safe. And Heavens help anyone who hurt whom he held precious to his heart. The Luminary was a blessing, but one should not forget whose essence had turned his red blood into golden ichor the day he was born. Touched by Yggdrasil and shaped like a human. Even if he was anything but.

The Platinum Poppet let go of an earsplitting screech when she was struck by a Falcon Slash. Serena’s cage fell away and her feet touched the ground once more. The air around her felt cold, a sharp caress against her cheeks as she stared incredulously ahead, unaware of what just had happened. Her friends were the same, their faces intimidated, but their eyes shone with humble wonder. Erik was sitting up now, holding onto his left shoulder as he stared. And as Serena followed his gaze, she understood. How could she not?

Their Kuron was blessed, swinging his sword with such savage grace, it even caught the remaining Liege Lizard off-guard as the hero descended on him. Almost like a shooting star, raining from the Heavens as he brought down the monster, who roared in pain.

Serena watched with stunned wonder, eyes glittering like the shards of the orb that Kuron shattered. Just with his sword, a stab of brute strength clean through. And for the first time, their enemy looked _afraid_. Serena couldn’t understand – her Luminary was _terrifyingly_ beautiful. Crouched on the Liege Lizard’s crown, one hand clamped around one of the horns, effectively tilting the head with a strength no _human_ could have. Then, he was looking at her.

His eyes had never appeared so clear. They shone like diamonds, almost luminous, pupils nothing but pinpricks. The glint in them was – everything. And nothing. Serena could not read what was burning within, but she could see the single target they had zeroed in on. Not even the Heavens could move him now. However, one person could, and so he waited, with a storm in his veins and thunder in his heart. Serena blinked, her gaze meeting the monster’s.

“Veronica would spit on your grave,” she told him, gentle lilt iced over. “Her love has always been her greatest shield. To dismiss something so precious…” She trailed off. Her skin felt cold, but she was boiling inside. A sun flare, unfurling in a blaze right within her chest. He didn’t deserve an explanation. So, she decided, meeting her Luminary’s unrelenting stare.

“I want his head.”

And Kuron, ever so kind, so gentle, so caring – he gave it to her. A flaring Dragon Slash was all it took and as the monster took his last wheezing breath, Serena watched how Kuron levelled him with one last terrifying stare. Golden ichor oozed from a gash near his hairline, drops trailing down his face like tears.

“ _You are a warning,_ ” was all he muttered. He stepped back and let the corpse dissolve into nothing but smoke and ashes.

Serena saw him change; his true nature diving back down into his depths, teeth bared like weapon and shield shrinking, posture of judge, jury and executioner relaxing. Kuron turned his head toward her, golden earring catching the light. His eyes round and lovely, mystifying little spark shining. He was just as breathtaking after the wild left, concern growing in his clear, clear gaze.

Briefly, Serena wondered if he would ever know what he really was. Maybe he’d never know. Somehow, that was fine, because his heart knew where he belonged. Too human to ever turn, so full of love, he’s soul probably couldn’t fathom the thought. She smiled at him.

“I am glad,” she started, lavender eyes glittering, “I am glad for Kuron.”

He tilted his head at her, affectionate but confused. She only tittered, her heart light. They returned to their friends together and Serena immediately went on to heal everyone. Amicable chatter started. However, she could see the knowing flashes in their eyes. No one mentioned anything. She was tending to Erik, when he opened his mouth, voice low.

“I’m glad too,” 

He didn’t specify. 

He didn’t need to.

**Author's Note:**

> [me, drawing: Dragon Quest Time](https://cherrytraveller.tumblr.com)


End file.
